Adjustable strike plate



June 27, 1961 WAR-HAN 2,990,211

ADJUSTABLE STRIKE PLATE Filed Oct. 21, 1960 "4; 5 E E 5 2i Q 4 24 0 4 44 .45 24 52 52 1a I N V EN TOR. 20449 )44/254/6 Uni sdi te Pe sfl 2,990,211 ADJUSTABLE STRIKE PLATE George Wartian, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Wartian Lock Company, St. Clair Shores, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,040 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-34148) This invention relates to a strike plate for a door jamb and has particular reference to a strike plate of such construction that it may be made of various thicknesses to accommodate the requirements of different installations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strike plate consisting of two inter-fitting plates which may be assembled in different ways to provide an assembly of a desired thickness to accommodate different installations.

Other and further objects of the invention will .be

apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying new and improved adjustable strike plate for a door latch.

drawing, which by way of illustration shows a preferred embodiment of the invention .a'nd'what'l novsi consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof.

Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of p the present invention; as set forth inthe appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a door and door jamb provided with a strike plate according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a different relationship of the parts comprising the strike plate;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 and showing a third manner of using the strike plate;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the base plate forming part of the strike plate assembly;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the base plate;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the cover plate;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cover plate; and

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the cover plate.

In the drawing, the strike plate is illustrated as applied to a door jamb 10 having a Z-bar 12 secured thereto and extending into a rabbet formed in the jamb 10. The strike plate is particularly useful in connection with the mounting of aluminum storm or screen doors of the kind indicated at 16, which are provided with a door latch assembly 18 which includes a swinging latch bolt 20 pivoted on a vertical axis for swinging movement into and out of the casing of the door latch 18, although it will be apparent that the strike plate may be used on doors and with latches of different type.

The strike plate comprises a base plate 22 which is adapted to seat against the door jamb 10 and a cover plate 24 which may be assembled with the base plate in different ways to provide a strike plate of different thicknesses. The base plate 22 is generally O-shaped, as shown in FIG. 4, and includes opposite end portions 26 and 28 connected by a connecting portion 30. The surface 32 of the base plate is flat and is adapted to engage the jamb 10, while the opposite surface of the end portions 26 and 28 is provided with stepped formations assazn Patented June 27,

ice

2 which define a thicker portion 34 extending along one side edge of the plate, thinner portions 36 at the opposite side edge of the plate, and intermediate portions 38 which are thicker than the portions 36 and thinner than the portions 34. Slots 40 extend across the thinner and intermediate portions 36 and 38.

The cover plate 24 is also generally C-shapedfas shown in FIG. 6, and has a flat surface 42 on one side thereof. The opposite surface of the plate 24 is provided with stepped recesses 44 at the opposite ends of the plate so that the plate 24 comprises a thicker portion 46 extending the length of the plate adjacent one edge thereof and including the connecting portion 48 of the plate, thinner portions 50 at the opposite side edge of the plate and intermediate portions 52 which are thicker than the portions 50 and thinner than the portion 48. Slots 54 extend across the stepped portions 50 and 52 and are adapted to be aligned with the slots 40 in'the plate 22 when the plates are assembled to provide aligned apertures'through which screws 56 extend for securing the strike plate to the door jamb.

. The cover plate 24 is assembled to the base plate 22 "with the flat side 42 of the cover plate outermost so that the central open portions of the plates define a central opening through the assembled plates for the reception of the latch bolt 20. The opposing arms of the end portions 26 and 28 of the plate 22 defined by the slots 40 are adapted to be received within the recesses 44 of the plate 24 and to interfitwith the stepped portions 50 and 52. The-plates may be assembled with the intermediate thickness'portions 38'o f'the base plate opposed to the thinnest portions 50 of the cover plate and with the thinnest portions 36 of the plate 22 opposed to the intermediate portions 52 of the cover plate 24, as shown in FIG. 1. The cover plate 24 is provided with a flang'e 60 extending fromits thicker side edge and adapted to. be fitted over the portion 62 of the Z-bar 12.

The plates may also be assembled with the intermediate thickness portions 38 and 52 thereof in opposed relation in the manner shown in FIG. 2 to provide a slightly thicker assembly, or the plates may be assembled with the thicker portions 34 of the base plate opposed to the intermediate portions 52 of the cover plate, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide a still thicker assembly. With this arrangement the strike plate may be used in different installations in which the spacing of the surface 64 of the door jamb from the portion 62 of the Z-bar varies without necessitating the use of shims or the like to compensate for the variations in the door frame.

It will be noted that the thickest portions 46 of the cover plate 24 are extended along the opposite sides of the recesses 44, as indicated at 66. With this construction the cover plate alone may be used as the strike plate and in such case the surfaces 46 and 66 would directly engage the surface 64 on the door jamb to provide an even thinner strike plate than that shown in FIG. 1.

It will be seen that with the strike plate provided by this invention, four different thicknesses are provided to accommodate variations in the door jamb. The thickness of the plates is preferably such that the strike plate may be either three-sixteenths, one-quarter, five-sixteenths or three-eighths of an inch in thickness, depending upon the manner in which the strike plates are used.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable strike plate for attachment to a door jamb comprising a pair of plates of generally rectangular shape, each of said plates being flat on one side and having three step formations on its opposite surface complementary in shape to the step formations on the other plate to define three portions of difierent thickness, said plates being assembled with said fiat sides thereof outermost and with the thinnest portions thereof at opposite side edges of the assembled plates, and with the portion of intermediate thickness of each adapted to overlie either the thickest, intermediate or thinnest portion of the other whereby the thickness of the assembled plates may be varied to accommodate ditferent installations, said plates each having a slot therein opening from the thinnest portion thereof and extending across said intermediate portion so as to form a central opening through the assembled plates for reception of a latch bolt, said plates having aligned apertures by means of which the assembled plates may be fastened to the door jarnb.

2. An adjustable strike plate for attachment to a door iamb comprising a pair of plates each being fiat on one side and having step formations on its opposite surface complementary in shape to the step formations on the other plate to define portions of increasing thickness from one side edge to the other, said plates being assembled with said flat sides thereof outermost and with the thinnest portions thereof at opposite side edges of the assembled plates, and with a portion of intermediate thickness of each adapted to overlie a selected one of the different thickness portions of the other whereby the thickness of the assembled plates may be varied to accommodate dit't'erent installations, said plates each having an opening extending across said intermediate portion so as to form a central opening through the assembled plates for reception of a latch bolt, said plates having aligned apertures by means of which the assembled plates may be fastened to the door jamb.

3. An adjustable strike plate for attachment to a door iamb comprising a pair of plates of rectangular shape. each of said plates being flat on one side and each being thicker at one side edge portion than at its opposite side edge portion and having an intermediate portion separating said side edge portions, said intermediate portion being thinner than said one side edge portion and thicker than said opposite side edge portion, said plates being assembled with said fiat sides thereof outermost and with the thinnest portions at opposite side edges of the assembled plates, and with the intermediate portion of each adapted to overlie a selected one of the thickest, intermediate or thinnest portions of the other whereby the thickness of the assembled plates may be varied to accommodate difiierent installations, said plates having openings therein aligned in the assembly for reception of a latch bolt and aligned apertures by means of which the assembled plates may be fastened to the door jamb.

4. An adjustable strike plate for attachment to a door jamb comprising a C-shaped base plate flat on one side and having three step formations on the end portions of its opposite surface, and a C-shaped cover plate fiat on one side and having stepped recesses on the end portions of its opposite surface complementary in shape to the step formations on said base plate, said plates being assembled with said flat sides thereof outermost and with the stepped end portions of said base plate received within and interfitting with said stepped recesses on said cover plate, the spaced between said interfitting end portions of said plates defining a central opening through the assembled plates for reception of a latch bolt, said end portions of said plates having aligned apertures by means of which the assembled plates may be fastened to the door iamb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 839,556 Cuff Dec. 25, 1906 1,688,626 Kissinger et al. Oct. 23, 1928 2,535,444 Miller Dec. 26, 1950 

